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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Dickens' stories are way more chaotic than anticipated. I had a good time
no surprise I loved it :) I adored this even more because it was his first.
having read a few of his later novels, his writing has without a doubt blossomed.
having read a few of his later novels, his writing has without a doubt blossomed.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a well-written and often hilarious book!
3.5*
The best way to describe this novel is the following quote:
"There are very few moments in a man's existence when he experiences so much ludicrous distress, or meets with so little charitable commiseration, as when he is in pursuit of his own hat."
Charles Dickens' debut novel, initially serialised between 1836 and 1837, is far from the Victorian literature which he is most known for, as "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club" is set in pre-Victorian England, focused on London and its environs. It tells the story of Samuel Pickwick and his companions who form the Pickwick Club, whose purpose is to record their adventures and misadventures in the English countryside, as well as London.
The book's structure, due to its serialised nature, may seem to have pointless cliff-hangers at the end of certain chapters, which are resolved in the subsequent chapter. Other than that, "The Pickwick Papers" has some very memorable characters in Samuel Pickwick and Samuel Weller, whose bond is one of the strongest points of the novel.
Another positive fact is the inclusion of small stories within the book itself, which are narrated by the different characters the Club meets, which really demonstrates Dickens' talent for story-writing and most especially for ghost stories, as he started the trend in Victorian England.
One shortcoming of the novel is that the story is all over the place, the narrative line is very thin and often I felt that the story wasn't progressing at all, which prompted me to stop reading frequently.
The best way to describe this novel is the following quote:
"There are very few moments in a man's existence when he experiences so much ludicrous distress, or meets with so little charitable commiseration, as when he is in pursuit of his own hat."
Charles Dickens' debut novel, initially serialised between 1836 and 1837, is far from the Victorian literature which he is most known for, as "The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club" is set in pre-Victorian England, focused on London and its environs. It tells the story of Samuel Pickwick and his companions who form the Pickwick Club, whose purpose is to record their adventures and misadventures in the English countryside, as well as London.
The book's structure, due to its serialised nature, may seem to have pointless cliff-hangers at the end of certain chapters, which are resolved in the subsequent chapter. Other than that, "The Pickwick Papers" has some very memorable characters in Samuel Pickwick and Samuel Weller, whose bond is one of the strongest points of the novel.
Another positive fact is the inclusion of small stories within the book itself, which are narrated by the different characters the Club meets, which really demonstrates Dickens' talent for story-writing and most especially for ghost stories, as he started the trend in Victorian England.
One shortcoming of the novel is that the story is all over the place, the narrative line is very thin and often I felt that the story wasn't progressing at all, which prompted me to stop reading frequently.
‰ЫП‰ЫчCurious circumstance about those initials, sir,‰ЫЄ said Mr. Magnus. ‰ЫчYou will observe--P.M.--post meridian. In hasty notes to intimate acquaintance, I sometimes sign myself ‰ЫПAfternoon.‰Ыќ It amuses my friend very much, Mr. Pickwick.‰ЫЄ‰Ыќ
‰ЫПBut bless our editorial heart, what a long chapter we have been betrayed into! We had quite forgotten all such petty restrictions as chapters, we solemnly declare. So here goes, to give the goblin a fair start in a new one! A clear stage and no favour for the goblines, ladies and gentlemen, if you please.‰Ыќ
‰ЫПBut bless our editorial heart, what a long chapter we have been betrayed into! We had quite forgotten all such petty restrictions as chapters, we solemnly declare. So here goes, to give the goblin a fair start in a new one! A clear stage and no favour for the goblines, ladies and gentlemen, if you please.‰Ыќ
This is not a book for me. Maybe a Portuguese translation would have helped, but was it boriiiing. I read a third, tried to get through with it on audio for another quarter, went back to physical reading, read summaries to keep up with the thing... but for the last 250 pages I gave up: read the summaries for the chapters online and flicked through the pages. It was just too much of side stuff happening for me. Too much of everything else besides a plot line I could follow. I'm sorry for Dickens on my hands.
Quite a long read. It's like watching a Netflix series. Interesting and funny.
Very uneven plotting--whole chapters exist to develop and advance plot points that could have been related in a paragraph--but what's good is worth reading. Christmas at the Wardles, the mock battle (I laughed out loud), (some of) the trial and tenure in Fleet prison, most of the scenes with the Wellers, the various ghost and revenge tales (initially distracting, but they contain some of the better paced stories and most original prose) are where you should stop and read closely. The rest (largely in the second half) is for enthusiasts only--and this shouldn't be your first Dickens novel.